A little background and some thoughts.

Pool is a game for everyone. It has been played by Kings, Presidents, laborers, grandmothers, and children. If you can find a way to see over the rail of the table and you can hold a cue stick, you can play pool! It's just that simple! It is a game the brings out the best in the human spirit--constant learning and endless challenges and constant fascination.

I learned to play the game almost 40 years ago, but I'm still learning, still frustrated at times, and still see things happen on a pool table and confronted with shots that I have never seen before. You gotta love this game!

A Deceptively Simple Game
Playing and learning the game of pocket billiards is like taming a giant beast. You will make progress and there will be many successes, but you will never quite finish the task. Anyone can play the game with little or no instruction, but players who have spent a lifetime practicing and studying the game are eager to admit they still have much to learn.

Be Patient
With a little dedication, you should be able to play well quickly but pool does not have a consistent learning curve--knowledge and practice are not necessarily rewarded with steady predictable progress. Even with hard work and practice, many players experience long periods with no perceptible improvement, but then suddenly their game will take a spontaneous leap to a new level.

Hey, It Could Have Happened This Way
I had dinner recently with one of the top pro players. After a little chit-chat, we got around to talking about pool and the conversation went something like this.

Me: "What does it take to succeed in professional pool?"
Pro: "Two words: good decisions."

Me: "How do you learn to make good decisions?"
Pro: "One word: experience."

Me: "So how do you get experience?"
Pro: "Two words: bad decisions."

Pool is a simple game. Do you really need lessons?

Anyone can learn to play pool by trial and error, reading books, or watching instructional videos. The question is will you learn it as quickly and will you learn it right the first time. Ask anyone who has taken a lesson and they will likely tell you that their only regret was not doing it sooner.

The problem with the do-it-yourself approach is that it is often impossible to see or feel what you may be doing wrong, or doing right for that matter. And most players will agree that one of the hardest tasks you face is breaking a bad habit that has been ingrained by years of play. It sure would have been a lot easier to learn to do it right from the start. That alone may be the best incentive for a new player to take lessons.

One of the best instructors in pool is your own eyes. Take the time to watch better players. You can learn a great deal without spending a penny. You can probably find some pretty good players locally, or on ESPN TV which frequently carries coverage of both Men's and Women's Pro Tournaments. But don't just watch casually and marvel at how good they are. Study their technique and strategy to learn what they do and why it works!

Dedicated Instruction
The real benefit of formal lessons is that it is dedicated instruction. The full focus is on you and your game. You can learn a great deal just playing with and talking to better players, but it is hard to beat a one-on-one session that is focused exclusively on your game.

What About Certified BCA Instructors?
The truth is that the most important aspect of any instruction is the knowledge of the instructor and the rapport between the teacher and student. Thus I would never suggest that a certified instructor is better than a knowledgeable player who can communicate well with a student. That having been said, BCA Instructors have taken the initiative to learn the game and learn how to teach someone to play it right. They may be a better teacher than the guy that just plays well. Ask around and you can generally find the names of a few good instructors in your area. If they happen to be BCA certified, that is all the better, but that should not be a hard and fast requirement.

You DO have a choice when it comes to a pool instructor and not all are created equal. The choice is very personal and should not be taken for granted.

In my experience, many students do not give proper consideration to selecting an instructor. They simply contact the instructor who works in their local room or one recommended by a friend. While personal recommendations are important, there are other critical factors. In fact, the instructor that is best for you will be as much a personal decision as the cue you choose.

A few years ago, I decided to take some lessons from a well-respected and highly recommended instructor. He had a huge portfolio of recommendations and had played at the pro level. Since the commute to meet the fellow involved about a two hour drive, we agreed on a 4-5 hour initial evaluation and lesson.

Cummunication is a critical two-way aspect of the instruction process that requires the student and instructor to be on the same wave length.

By the end of that first lesson, it was obvious that there would not be a second. We simply did not speak the same language. Sure, we both spoke English, but I had to constantly ask him to clarify the points he was trying to make. Then when he answered, he never seemed to provide the answer I was seeking. In short, the long drive, the time involved, and the money spent were a total waste.

Teacher Student Evaluation
Most instructors consider the first meeting as an evaluation session. Obviously the teacher must learn a great deal about the student's assets, level of play, goals, willingness to change, etc. But in that initial session, it is equally important for the student to evaluate the instructor. Does his approach inspire confidence? Is he comfortable with a player of your level? Do you seem to communicate well? In short, is he the right person for the job?

Instruction vs. Coaching
Billiard instruction and coaching is often lumped into the same category, but they are actually quite different approaches to assisting a player's improvement. Some instructors and coaches can easily switch roles based on the needs of the student. That ability to adapt is an important area of exploration during your evaluation of the instructor.

Your money and your pool game are at stake--don't settle for anything less that the best!

So what is the difference between a coach and an instructor? In my opinion, a coach's job is to meld the lessons to the needs of the student and adapt the lessons to the student's assets. Coaching is often a longer term relationship that develops a personal trust based on common goals. A coach understands your game. If you're at a tournament and seem to be in slump, you would be comfortable calling the your coach to discuss the problem and possible solution.

Instructors frequently teach from a specific curriculum and may only be comfortable or effective with a student who is willing to adapt specific techniques. In other words, an instructor may want to mold you into a specific image. Some beginning players may like that approach, where more experienced players often don't want to relearn their entire game.

The lines between coach and instructor are often blurry, because good instructors and coaches will always respond to the needs and desires of the student. In reality, it is just a title, but it is good to know the different mindsets so you can establish the for yourself how the prospective instructor/coach will approach the teaching process.

Does Certification Matter
There are currently two organization that certify pool instructors; the BCA and the WBIA. But does it matter if an instructor is certified? Yes and no.

In my opinion, certification means the person takes their job seriously and has a commitment to self-improvement. Those are important characteristics in any teacher. But certification does not make a good teacher. Teaching has more to do with dedication, understanding, and communication. All things being equal, I would choose a certified instructor, but I certainly would not hesitate to work with an instructor just because they do not have a certificate on the wall.

Conclusion
In the end, your level of experience and adaptability to change may be the factors that most influence the learning process. Couple that with good communication and mutual confidence and you should realize a win-win relationship on which to build a great learning experience. But don't think your choices are limited. There are quite a number of qualified pool teachers out there. Take the time to insure you are getting the one that will provide a productive and pleasurable education.

Your money and your pool game are at stake--don't settle for anything less that the best!

Given that the fundamentals are the most important part of the game, you do NOT need a pool table to practice to hone many of the most essential skills.

The preshot routine is one of the most important aspects of our pool game. A solid and repeatable preshot routine insures we give each shot its proper consideration, and it helps us maintain a consistent rhythm in our play. But there is no need to pay for table time, or even leave the house, to make your desired preshot routine become a matter of habit.

An important aspect to any practice routine is to focus exclusively on the specific action we are trying to perfect. For example, if you are working on your stroke, it is best not to be concerned with pocketing balls, playing position, or anything else that can distract you from the stroke itself. So naturally, when practicing the preshot routine, there is no need for anything but a flat surface and a few objects to simulate balls and pockets. It's simple and effective--all you need is a table, your cue, and, if desired, a cube of chalk.

The most effective pocket billiards practice aid may be right in your own dining room or kitchen.

As you may know, most dining room tables, office desks, etc. are about the same height, approximately 30", as the bed of a pool table. And you can use small dishes, or just about any object, to simulate the cue ball, object ball, and pocket so you can practice lining up the shot. If you want to get real fancy, you can even incorporate a green tablecloth. Now you're set to practice all aspects of your perfect preshot routine.

The real benefit of practicing at home, or in the office, is that you can do it several times a day for short periods of time. It is well established that we learn techniques better when performed in several small segments, such as 15 each, 4 times per day. This reinforces the "proper way" without any intervening periods where we relapse into old habits.

Old sayings like "little things mean a lot" and "the things come in small packages" are very appropriate for advancing your success in pool.

When I think back over my time playing pool, I am most amazed by the insights and knowledge I have aquired from amazing array of sources. I expect to learn new things from books or videos and personal instruction, but it seems like an equal amount has been gleened from passing conversations, comments by TV commentators, and watching others play. A simple question from a student often provides a new slant on an idea or raises a topic that has never been considered before.

We never know from where the next little gem of inspiration or wisdom might appear, so we have to be receptive to ideas from any and all sources.

Here are just a few of the sources of billiard information I could readily identify:

Instruction - somewhere along the line all of us get some personal instruction, whether it's from a more experienced player, mentor, or through formal lessons and clinics.

Practice - there is no substitute for practice. Books and videos will give you knowledge, and playing will give you experience, but it takes practice to hone your skills and solidify new concepts and techniques.

Playing - competition, whether casual or formal, allows you to chart your progress and guides your further study, practice, and experimentation.

Experimentation - while this may occur during the time we consider practice, it is not practice. Experimentation is the process of learning what works for you and what doesn't. It might be trying an aiming technique, learning to use english, or perfecting a banking system. Once experimentation proves a concept, then we can take it to the practice table.

Discussion - discussions with fellow players, especially those with which you have a learning relationship, will often generate new ideas and insights. Even a question from a rank beginner can often cause us to rethink old ideas or prejudices.

Observation - this is perhaps the most critical skill in all of pocket billiards. Whether observing the path of the balls after a shot, or observing other players, there are numerous and invaluable lessons to be learned.

Books, videos, etc. - instructional materials and match-play videos allow us to tap the experience and wisdom of some of the greatest players and instructors in pocket billiards.

Dealers - once you get past the salesmanship, a good dealer can be a wealth of information. They are constantly in touch with cuemakers and have knowledge of the experienceson by hundreds of customers.

Shows & Expos - this is the one place you can see the latest and greatest, and interact with some of the top people in the industry. These are much better than any catalog or web page because he you try before you buy.

It takes all of the above to produce a successful journey in the world of pockets billiards. For some the journey is too long and they simply do not have the patience for it. Others of us find the journey and the lifetime learning experience to be one of the true wonders of the game.

My wife once said that she thought the best hobbies where the one that offered a lifetime of learning. Pocket billiards certainly does that!